Killers of the Flower Moon Essay Questions

What are revealed to be the primary motivations behind the murders?

Greed and prejudice are the ultimate motivations behind the killings. Resentful of the sudden wealth the Osage have accrued, a group of white Oklahomans target them in an attempt to get their money. They establish corrupt guardianships to slowly siphon money away from members of the tribe and then, often, kill them to steal the remainder of their fortune. Grann shows how racially motivated hatred towards the Osage allowed people to justify committing heinous acts against them, and a desire for their riches gave them motivation.

What is Tom White's relationship to J. Edgar Hoover like?

White's relationship with Hoover is complex. White wants to solve the case and meet Hoover's expectations. At the same time, he is irritated by Hoover's pestering telegrams and arcane rules about personal conduct (he believed in a strict dress code). He also does not share Hoover's desire for positive press or recognition. Instead, he is driven by a desire to discover the truth and bring the killers to justice. While both men want the case to be solved, they do not share the same values or motivations.

Why doesn't the book end with White putting Hale in prison?

Grann doesn't end the book with White's triumph over Hale because he wants to recognize a broader pattern of systemic abuse against the Osage. He finishes the book in the present day, recounting his own investigation into the case. He writes that some of the killings that occurred during the terror remained unsolved and that many other similar cases went completely unnoticed. He focuses on this information in the book's last section to show that these crimes were never answered for and the historical record will be incomplete until they are at least acknowledged.

What best describes the tone and pacing of the book?

The tone of the book is solemn and dramatic. Grann withholds information effectively, making the pacing very taut and engrossing. By laying out the events of the story from the perspective of the people observing them, he is able to preserve the mystery at the center of the narrative. This allows him to pull readers in slowly, as they first experience Mollie's fear in the face of the killings and then watch White slowly unravel the case.

Who ends up being the culprit behind the murders?

William Hale ends up being behind the majority of the Osage killings. He organizes a plot against Mollie and her family in an effort to steal as much of their oil money as possible. He systematically kills off members of her family with the help of his nephews and various local criminals. He then has Mollie set to inherit the money of her deceased relatives. He does so because he is obsessed with making as much money as possible and shows no care or sympathy for the Osage, clearly believing their lives are valueless. Grann portrays him as an almost biblically evil figure, as he shows no contrition for his heinous crimes.